- Prince Andrew was almost certainly attracted to Epstein because he had the one thing he coveted: Money
- his entire official income consisted of a £250k allowance from the Queen and a £20,000 per year pension
- Epstein's connections funneled business opportunities in the Prince's direction and he grew personally rich
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| RMIT and Bond universities have ended their involvement with the Pitch@Palace program. It follows Prince Andrew’s TV interview on Jeffrey Epstein. Photograph: Richard Wainwright/AAP |
Two Australian universities severed ties with a charity founded by Prince Andrew Wednesday, after the British royal refused to recant his friendship with late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
Bond University and RMIT University in Melbourne said they would no longer work with “Pitch@Palace” — a charity founded by the Duke of York, 59, to promote entrepreneurship.
Queensland’s Bond University said it had planned to review its work with “Pitch@Palace” next year, but brought forward the decision.
In light of recent events, the university does not intend to seek any further involvement,” a spokesperson told AFP.
RMIT University said its “involvement with Pitch@Palace concluded in October 2019” and would not be renewed.We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring RMIT is a safe and inclusive place to work and study,” the university said.
A third Australian institution, Murdoch University, said it “is currently reviewing its support of the Pitch@Palace event in 2020.”
Businesses and universities in the United Kingdom have already announced they will no longer associate themselves with the Prince or his charities.
This came after he denied having sex with a 17-year-old girl during a lengthy and much-condemned BBC interview in which he also described Epstein’s behaviour as “unbecoming.”
The 66-year-old Epstein was found dead in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Centre on August 10 as he awaited trial on allegations that he trafficked girls as young as 14 for sex.
Bond University and RMIT University in Melbourne said they would no longer work with “Pitch@Palace” — a charity founded by the Duke of York, 59, to promote entrepreneurship.
Queensland’s Bond University said it had planned to review its work with “Pitch@Palace” next year, but brought forward the decision.
In light of recent events, the university does not intend to seek any further involvement,” a spokesperson told AFP.
RMIT University said its “involvement with Pitch@Palace concluded in October 2019” and would not be renewed.We remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring RMIT is a safe and inclusive place to work and study,” the university said.
A third Australian institution, Murdoch University, said it “is currently reviewing its support of the Pitch@Palace event in 2020.”
Businesses and universities in the United Kingdom have already announced they will no longer associate themselves with the Prince or his charities.
This came after he denied having sex with a 17-year-old girl during a lengthy and much-condemned BBC interview in which he also described Epstein’s behaviour as “unbecoming.”
The 66-year-old Epstein was found dead in New York’s Metropolitan Correctional Centre on August 10 as he awaited trial on allegations that he trafficked girls as young as 14 for sex.
Standard Chartered and KPMG had already indicated they would review ties with the Prince’s charities.
Another, the University of Wollongong in New South Wales, said it
would be reviewing their relationship. The fourth “host partner”,
Murdoch University in Western Australia, has been contacted for comment.
Over the past few days, multiple corporate partners have also deserted the charity – including Standard Chartered, Aon and KPMG.
On Saturday night, the Duke of York gave a much-derided interview
to the BBC where he denied accusations of sexual assault and defended
his links to the financier and convicted child sex offender Epstein.
In
response to allegations from Virginia Giuffre (formerly Roberts) that
she was trafficked to the duke and had sex with him when she was 17,
Prince Andrew claimed he was at home after a pizza party.
The duke also said he regretted staying at Epstein’s house, but thought it was the “honourable and right” thing to do, and a “convenient place to stay” at the time.
Pitch@Palace was founded in 2014 to “provide a platform to amplify
and accelerate the work of entrepreneurs”, according to its website.
An Australian version began in 2017, and the third instalment (Pitch@Palace Australia 3.0) took place in October.
According to the website, 42 entrepreneurs took part this year,
pitching to “an influential audience of potential supporters, including
CEOs, influencers, mentors and business partners”.
(AFP)
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